Prefect Process is in Full Swing Juniors Take Leadership Positions
By Nora Habboosh ’10
News Staff Reporters
There are many opportunities at Choate to assume a student leadership position, and to guide peers through the situations that present themselves at Choate. Among these opportunities is the prefect program, for which students are in the selection process. Amidst the array of activities and academic commitments that Choaties dedicate themselves to, some students have decided to apply for prefectship.
The selection process begins with informational sessions led by Ms. Emily Brenner and Mr. Jim Yanelli, who serve as faculty coordinators of the process. All those interested in applying must attend one of these three sessions, which provide possible applicants with an idea of the job’s responsibilities. All interested students must fill out an online application, while their advisors fill out a joint assessment. As students move further along in the process, they usually have an idea of which dorms they would most like to prefect in. “When students start getting a sense of where they would like to be, it is important that they meet with the advisors in those respective dorms as soon as possible,” said Ms. Brenner. It is very important that the advisors talk to the students in person in order to get a good sense of his/her personality and qualifications. As Brenner said, “It is the suggestion that the student present him or herself in the best light possible.” This advice proves worthwhile when it comes time for advisors to evaluate each student. After the initial applications of all applicants are read, all heads of houses are sent a list of applicants to that house. These heads are asked to rate each student on a scale of 1-4, with one being the best. “In addition, the advising teams rate the students so that members can consult with one another about various students in order to gain a sense of who is well known, responsible, mature, personable,” Brenner said.
The next part of the process involves a great deal of work for Ms. Brenner and Mr. Yanelli, as they speak to the students’ deans, Ms. Salot, and current dorm advisors. Once students are selected, administrators face the task of placing students in a dorm that suits them. “The students need to be flexible. They are given a sheet that they can fill out with their top 5 choices, but they must understand that there is no guarantee, even though we do our best to match students with their choices,” Brenner said. The program’s first priority is to accept qualified students, and then place them into specific dorms.
As the number of applicants rises continuously every year (this year had an unprecedented number), it becomes more difficult for Ms. Brenner and Mr. Yanelli to choose students because as Ms. Brenner said, “There are really so many qualified students who could do a good job.” Nevertheless, the directors must pick the students who they believe demonstrate “strong leadership, good moral courage, and the willingness to do what’s right even when it’s not easy.”
Once these students are selected and placed, the prefects then vote for prefects they feel would best serve as Head Boy and Girl. Jen Bashian ’08, currently Head Girl Prefect, described some of the responsibilities of the Head Prefects. “Sam Cabot ’08 [Head Boy] and I meet every Thursday in the dining hall from 6:30 to 7:15 with Ms. Brenner and Mr. Yanelli, along with the other prefects to discuss different aspects of the job,” she said. “The meetings are great because they form that student-faculty connection in the program.” In addition to meetings with Yanelli and Brenner, Bashian and Cabot also hold meetings with fellow prefects in which they act as resources for their fellow prefects. They also work together to organize prefect events, which have included activities such as a prefect bowling night. “I believe the program is pretty firm and solid as it is, and I find it interesting that the students are really picked first and then placed in their houses…As the new dorms, are built, though, the dynamic on campus is going to change as the center shifts,” Bashian reflected. In terms of any improvement to the program, Bashian believes that “Form specific training would make it complete. Different forms have different issues, and you have to know how to handle that and deal with the specific issues.”
